Yuriy Borzakovskiy
Encyclopedia
Yuriy Mikhailovich Borzakovskiy is a Russian middle distance
athlete specializing in the 800 metres
.
he reached the 800 m final, in which he made a tactical error and finished only seventh. In 2001 he won the World Indoor title over 800 m, but decided not to participate in the World Championships in Edmonton
. On August 24, 2001, Borzakovskiy posted a time of 1:42.47 minutes. That currently makes him the 8th fastest man in history over that distance. In addition, Borzakovskiy was ranked No.1 in the world in that year. In 2002, Borzakovskiy ran the 400 m at the European Championships in Munich
, but lost in the early stages. The following season he picked up a silver medal
over 800 m at the World Championships in Paris
.
Borzakovskiy's greatest achievement was his victory in the 800 m race at the Athens Olympics
in 2004. By this point, he was well known for sitting back until about the last 200 metres and then using a great kick to catch up and win, reminiscent of the tactics of U.S.A's Dave Wottle
. At the Olympics he employed the same strategy, using this 'late charge' to come from behind in the last 150 meters to pass Wilson Kipketer
, who was leading with only 20 metres to go, and take the victory.
In the 2005 World Championships
he took silver in the 800 m competition, overtaking everyone but Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi
on the final straight. At the 2006 World Indoor Championships
he won a bronze medal. Borzakovskiy won a bronze medal
at the 2007 World Championships
in Osaka
. The final ran at a very slow pace and he was boxed in on the final lap which slowed down his sprint in the last 100 m.
In 2008 he made an impressive comeback by posting a time of 1:42.79 minutes, his first time under 1:43 since 2001. He made the Olympic team at the Beijing Olympics
, but unexpectedly failed to qualify for the 800 m final, finishing only third in his semifinal heat.
In 2009 he won gold
at the European Indoor Championships in 1:48.55. On August 23 he placed fourth at the final of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin
in 1:45.57. Most of his 2010 season was lost due to an injury.
In 2011, he achieved yet another podium finish with a bronze medal in the 800 meters at the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships
. In this race, Borzakovskiy ran most of the last lap in second place and was himself overtaken just before the finish line.
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
athlete specializing in the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
.
Athletic career
Borzakovskiy's first major international success was a victory at the 2000 European Indoor Championships when he was only 18 years old. At the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
he reached the 800 m final, in which he made a tactical error and finished only seventh. In 2001 he won the World Indoor title over 800 m, but decided not to participate in the World Championships in Edmonton
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
. On August 24, 2001, Borzakovskiy posted a time of 1:42.47 minutes. That currently makes him the 8th fastest man in history over that distance. In addition, Borzakovskiy was ranked No.1 in the world in that year. In 2002, Borzakovskiy ran the 400 m at the European Championships in Munich
2002 European Championships in Athletics
The 18th European Athletics Championships were held from 6 August to 11 August 2002 in the Olympic Stadium of Munich, Germany.-Track:1994 |1998 |2002 |2006 |2010 |...
, but lost in the early stages. The following season he picked up a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
over 800 m at the World Championships in Paris
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
.
Borzakovskiy's greatest achievement was his victory in the 800 m race at the Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in 2004. By this point, he was well known for sitting back until about the last 200 metres and then using a great kick to catch up and win, reminiscent of the tactics of U.S.A's Dave Wottle
Dave Wottle
David James Wottle is a former American athlete. He is the winner of the 800 meter run at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He is perhaps, however, best known for wearing a golf cap while running....
. At the Olympics he employed the same strategy, using this 'late charge' to come from behind in the last 150 meters to pass Wilson Kipketer
Wilson Kipketer
Wilson Kosgei Kipketer is a Kenyan born Danish former middle distance runner. He holds the current indoor world records at the 1000 and 800 metres distance. While dominating the 800 m distance for a decade, remaining undefeated for a three-year period and running 8 of the 17 currently all-time...
, who was leading with only 20 metres to go, and take the victory.
In the 2005 World Championships
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
he took silver in the 800 m competition, overtaking everyone but Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi
Rashid Ramzi
Rashid Ramzi is a Moroccan-Bahraini track and field athlete competing internationally for Bahrain in the 800 metres and 1500 metres. Ramzi was investigated by the IAAF after the 2008 Summer Games and was stripped of his gold medal for doping.Ramzi was born in Asfi, Morocco...
on the final straight. At the 2006 World Indoor Championships
2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations was held in Moscow from March 10 to March 12, 2006 in the Olimpiyski Sport arena....
he won a bronze medal. Borzakovskiy won a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. The final ran at a very slow pace and he was boxed in on the final lap which slowed down his sprint in the last 100 m.
In 2008 he made an impressive comeback by posting a time of 1:42.79 minutes, his first time under 1:43 since 2001. He made the Olympic team at the Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, but unexpectedly failed to qualify for the 800 m final, finishing only third in his semifinal heat.
In 2009 he won gold
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the European Indoor Championships in 1:48.55. On August 23 he placed fourth at the final of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
in 1:45.57. Most of his 2010 season was lost due to an injury.
In 2011, he achieved yet another podium finish with a bronze medal in the 800 meters at the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
. In this race, Borzakovskiy ran most of the last lap in second place and was himself overtaken just before the finish line.